Med tech in Ireland paints a healthy picture - Irish Innovation News. With Ireland fast becoming a global epicentre for the med-tech industry, today we are launching a new series to explore how the sector has evolved in the country, taking a look at key areas, such as connected health. Here we provide an overview of Ireland’s med-tech sector. Do you wear contact lenses? You probably know someone with diabetes who needs to inject themselves with insulin.
Perhaps a loved one has had a new lease on life thanks to a hip implant or a stent. Medical technology improves and saves millions of lives around the world each year. But did you know that Ireland is a global hub for the industry? Ireland is leading the field when it comes to medical technology, according to Barry O'Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland. "Seventeen of the world's top 25 medical-technology companies have invested significantly in Ireland and there is a strong established cluster incorporating foreign and indigenous companies," he said recently. Tax, talent and technology Ireland's key med-tech strengths. About us / Sector Profile / Map of Med Tech Companies in Ireland. Medical technology companies are defined, for the purpose of this map as companies that: Primarily design or manufacture medical technology products and/or solutions Have international shared services (This definition excludes distributors and consultant organisations) The sector is diverse and the following eight broad headings have been established to describe and categorise the sector in Ireland: Diagnostic; A company that primarily develops diagnostic products, solutions and /or instrumentation (in-vitro/in-vivo or other).
This company develops finished products for market. Hospital and/or homecare products; A company that primarily produces hospital or homecare products, examples include respiratory, gastro and wound care products among others. This company develops finished products for market in a hospital or homecare setting. Would you swap a healthy eye for a bionic one with additional functionality? This week an Australian woman had some of her vision restored thanks to a retinal implant. Some transhumanists believe that as technology improves, people might replace their healthy retinas for implants if it meant gaining added functionality such as night vision.
This is a guest post by Luke Robert Mason, director of Virtual Futures and advisor to Humanity Plus. What if you could dramatically alter the way you choose to perceive the world? What if, like bats, you could use echolocation to navigate? Dramatically improve your ability to see in the dark like a cat? Transhumanists, a group who believe that augmentation of human capabilities is desirable, speculate that enhanced hearing and visual aids may soon enable us to customise our perception. As mobile phones become increasingly ubiquitous, we are simultaneously wondering what will supersede these handheld communication devices and how new tools may alter the way we interact with the world around us. Image: Shutterstock. Vinod Khosla: Machines will replace 80 percent of doctors. Machines will replace 80 percent of doctors in a healthcare future that will be driven by entrepreneurs, not medical professionals, according to Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. Khosla, who wrote an article entitled Do We Need Doctors Or Algorithms?
Earlier this year, made the controversial remarks at the Health Innovation Summit in San Francisco, hosted by seed accelerator Rock Health. The article had already touched on some of the points of his keynote speech, however it was at the summit that the investor challenged a room full of doctors to disagree with his argument -- a challenge that was met with silence. With no qualms about offending an auditorium filled with practicing doctors, Khosla went on to refer to common medical practice as being akin to voodoo, saying "healthcare is like witchcraft and just based on tradition" rather than data driven, as he believes it should be.
"There are some things that may never be codified or driven into algorthims," argues Liu. Transhuman Week: exploring the frontiers of human enhancement. The London 2012 Paralympic Games have drawn attention to the role that technology and science can play in overcoming human limitations. From wind tunnel-tested wheelchairs to running blades and other prosthetics, technology has been used to adapt or enhance the human body for sporting success.
In the Paralympics, the forms of human enhancement are generally considered to be therapeutic, i.e. overcoming a perceived disability. However, there is an emerging intellectual movement called transhumanism, which explores the application of technology and science to enhance human bodies and minds regardless of whether they are perceived to have any disabilities. Transhumanist pursuits generally have the objective of extending human life, but may include low-level biohacking, physical augmentation, performance-enhancing drugs and even genetic modification. The line between therapy and enhancement is a blurry one.